"It's just as you thought, Clark. This is how you first came to Earth. I'm sorry to tell you now—you weren't adopted from an agency."
Adrian didn't explain much more than that.
He had long expected Clark to stumble upon the secret hidden in the barn. With Clark's powers steadily awakening, it was only a matter of time before he uncovered the truth.
Jonathan had planned to tell him himself when the time was right, but the right moment never came.
"You mean I'm… an alien?" Clark's voice trembled, disbelief flooding his expression. "An alien who came here in this spaceship?"
He took a step back, his face tightening. "You must be joking, Adrian."
"Why didn't I know about this? Why did our parents tell you but keep me in the dark?" Clark's frustration rose. "When did you find out? Half a year ago? A year ago? Back in junior high? And I've been living like an ignorant fool all this time. If Mom hadn't had her accident, would I have stayed deceived forever?"
"If you want to call it deception, then so be it," Adrian replied calmly, ignoring the accusation.
He knew this emotional storm well—the way shock morphs into anger when the truth hits too hard. But he had no interest in being anyone's counselor, not even Clark's.
Seeing Adrian's indifference only fueled Clark's urge to demand more answers. He wanted to run to the hospital, confront his father, and demand the truth face-to-face. But the thought of his mother lying unconscious and his father's worried face cooled his rage.
Taking a few deep breaths, Clark steadied himself just in time to see Adrian slotting a metallic piece into a gap in the spaceship's hull.
The octagonal fragment clicked perfectly into place.
"What's that?" Clark asked, his curiosity overtaking his anger.
"Something I found on the farm. Looks like it's part of the ship."
As the piece settled in, Adrian's gaze sharpened. The spaceship remained silent for a moment, its surface gleaming under the dim barn light.
"Mom was standing near this ship when it emitted that radiation," Adrian said quietly. "That's what caused her collapse. If we can reactivate the ship, maybe we'll find a way to cure her."
"You really think that thing can be restarted just with that piece?" Clark asked, his eyes locked on the alien craft.
"I don't know," Adrian admitted, "but we have to try."
The moment he said it, the spaceship began to hum softly—then tremble.
Clark stepped back instinctively. "It's moving!"
"I can see that, Clark," Adrian muttered, eyes narrowing as the vibrations intensified.
He had always avoided touching Kryptonian tech before he was ready to handle its power. If it weren't for Martha's condition, he wouldn't have dared attempt this now.
The shaking grew until the entire cellar rattled.
Then came a blinding flash.
A surge of invisible energy exploded outward from the ship like a ripple through water.
Adrian and Clark were thrown across the room.
Adrian crashed into the cellar wall with a heavy thud as soil crumbled around him. Clark hit the wooden steps, splintering them to pieces.
Groaning, Adrian pushed himself upright, shaking off the dizziness. He tried to hover instinctively but felt his strength drain, forcing him back to the ground.
He checked his body—no visible injuries, just a strange fatigue seeping through him.
Clark wasn't faring much better. He lay sprawled on the ground, struggling to breathe.
Adrian moved to him, pulling him to his feet. "You alright?"
"Not really," Clark wheezed, clutching his chest. "I… I feel weak. Like everything inside me just shut down."
Adrian frowned. "That pulse from the ship—it must've affected both of us. But why? Our physiology isn't identical…"
Before he could finish the thought, the distant wail of sirens echoed through the night.
He turned his head slightly, activating his enhanced vision. Down the road, a line of vehicles marked DCA approached—Department of Containment and Analysis.
"DCA?" Adrian muttered. "Why would they be coming here?"
He focused his hearing next, catching the shrill ring of the house phone.
In an instant, he was gone—just a gust of displaced air in his wake.
He reappeared in the living room and picked up the receiver.
"Adrian? Is that you?" Jonathan's voice came through, tight with anxiety.
"It's me, Dad."
"The Disease Control Agency thinks your mother might've been exposed to some unknown toxin," Jonathan said quickly. "They're heading to the farm under the guise of a safety inspection. Listen carefully—you need to hide the ship before they find it. Can you handle that?"
"I understand, Dad," Adrian said, voice steady.
"And if they ask about your mother's activities, you tell them she hasn't left the farm since the weekend and was just making phone donations. Got it?"
"Got it."
He hung up and turned toward the window, watching the DCA convoy draw closer.
A sudden gust swept through the room—and he vanished again.
A heartbeat later, Adrian stood on the road ahead of the convoy. His eyes ignited with a crimson glow.
Twin beams of heat vision lanced out, striking the lead vehicle's tire.
With a deafening pop, the tire burst, and the car swerved wildly before grinding to a halt inches from a roadside tree. The crippled vehicle blocked the rest of the convoy behind it.
Adrian's expression didn't waver.
He cast one last glance at the chaos, then turned and walked back toward Kent Farm, his silhouette fading into the darkness.
____
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